Moderna, the US pharmaceutical company, has said it is suing Pfizer-BioNTech for patent infringement in the development of the Covid-19 vaccine.
The company claims that Pfizer-BioNTech copied messenger RNA technology that it had developed years before the coronavirus pandemic.
“We are filing these lawsuits to protect the innovative mRNA technology platform that we pioneered, invested billions of dollars in creating, and patented during the decade preceding the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Moderna chief executive Stephane Bancel.
BioNTech did not immediately comment but Pfizer said it would “vigorously defend” itself against the allegations.
“Pfizer-BioNTech has not yet fully reviewed the complaint but we are surprised by the litigation, given the Covid-19 vaccine was based on BioNTech's proprietary mRNA technology and developed by both BioNTech and Pfizer,” a Pfizer representative said.
“We remain confident in our intellectual property supporting the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and will vigorously defend against the allegations of the lawsuit.”
Moderna said it was not asking the courts to pull the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine from the market nor block future sales but was after undetermined monetary damages.
“Pfizer and BioNTech took four different vaccine candidates into clinical testing, which included options that would have steered clear of Moderna's innovative path,” a Moderna statement said.
“Pfizer and BioNTech, however, ultimately decided to proceed with a vaccine that has the same exact mRNA chemical modification to its vaccine.”
The action was filed at the US district court in Massachusetts and the regional court of Duesseldorf in Germany, Moderna said.
Moderna as well as Pfizer and BioNTech, which joined forces on the project, were two of the first groups to develop a vaccine for the novel coronavirus.
Moderna alleges that Pfizer-BioNTech, without permission, copied technology that Moderna had patented between 2010 and 2016, well before Covid emerged in 2019.
The company, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has been an innovator in the MRNA vaccine technology that enabled the unprecedented speed in developing the Covid vaccine.
A vaccine approval process that previously took years was completed within months, thanks largely to the breakthrough in mRNA vaccines, which teach human cells how to create a protein that will trigger an immune response.
German company BioNTech had also been working in this field when it teamed up with the US pharma giant Pfizer.
During the pandemic, the US granted emergency use authorisation, first to Pfizer-BioNTech and a week later to Moderna.
As the pandemic raged, Moderna said it would not enforce its Covid-19 patents to help others develop their own vaccines, particularly for low and middle-income countries.
In March, Moderna said it expected companies such as Pfizer and BioNTech to respect its intellectual property rights. It said it would not seek damages for any activity before March 8.
Patent litigation is not uncommon in the early stages of new technology.
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Company%20profile
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House-hunting
Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Westminster, London
- Camden, London
- Glasgow, Scotland
- Islington, London
- Kensington and Chelsea, London
- Highlands, Scotland
- Argyll and Bute, Scotland
- Fife, Scotland
- Tower Hamlets, London
THE BIO:
Favourite holiday destination: Thailand. I go every year and I’m obsessed with the fitness camps there.
Favourite book: Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. It’s an amazing story about barefoot running.
Favourite film: A League of their Own. I used to love watching it in my granny’s house when I was seven.
Personal motto: Believe it and you can achieve it.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
THE BIO
Favourite car: Koenigsegg Agera RS or Renault Trezor concept car.
Favourite book: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes or Red Notice by Bill Browder.
Biggest inspiration: My husband Nik. He really got me through a lot with his positivity.
Favourite holiday destination: Being at home in Australia, as I travel all over the world for work. It’s great to just hang out with my husband and family.
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
Company profile
Name: Thndr
Started: October 2020
Founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: pre-seed of $800,000
Funding stage: series A; $20 million
Investors: Tiger Global, Beco Capital, Prosus Ventures, Y Combinator, Global Ventures, Abdul Latif Jameel, Endure Capital, 4DX Ventures, Plus VC, Rabacap and MSA Capital
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
